Speed-changing mechanism.



N0. 66|,967- Patented Nov. 20, |900.

A. FISCHER & A. T. OTTO.

SPEED' CHANGING MECHANTSM.

(Application led June 24, 1897. Renewed Apr. 22, 1899.)

(No Model.)

Fay 1.

UrrEn ETATES ATENT Enron..

ALEXANDER FISCHER AND ALBERT T. OTTO, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SPEED-CHANGING MECHANISIVI.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 661,967, dated November 20, 1900.

Application filed .Tune 24, 1897. Renewed April 22, 1899. Serial No. 714,133. KNO model.) v

T0 all whom, it 11i/ty concern.-

Beit known that we, ALEXANDER FISCHER and ALBERT T. OTTO, citizens of the United States, and residents of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Speed-Changing Mechanism, of which the following is a speciication.

Our invention relates to speed-changing mechanism for varying the relative rate of revolution of a driving and a driven part wherein the variation may be produced while the mechanism is in motion.

Our invention is especially applicable to road-vehicles wherein a small motor is used, being driven at a high and practically uniform speed, while the leverage of the motor on the traction-wheels must be varied to compensate for the extreme variation in natural grades and for the different conditions of roads, and our invention is also applicable for the purpose of starting and stopping the vehicle without interrupting the motion of the motor.

The object of our invention is to reduce the number of parts and simplify the machine, thereby condensing the same into a small space, which is a desirable feature in the construction of road-motors.

Our invention consists in certain novel features of reciprocating clutchactuating mechanism hereinafter described and claimed, wherein a high-speed rotary motion is converted into a low-speed rotary motion through a crank-pin acting at a variable radius, which may be varied from a maximum stroke to an elimination of stroke while the machine is in motion.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation, illustrating our improved mechanism. Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section taken at y y, Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a cross-section at .e z, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail side View of a clutch suitable to our invention, showing the reverse side from that appearing in Fig. l. Fig. 5 is an interior view of the same. Fig. 6 is a crosssection at :t 0c, Fig. et.

A, Fig. l, represents a motor, the same acting on a crank C (partly shown in Fig. 2) to iiy-wheel F and is slidingly connected di- 55 rectly with the clutch-lever K. The crankpin T is adjustable in position and may be changed in adjustment while the machine is in motion by means of a movable collar U on the shaft B, which is mechanically connected 6o to the sliding block 2O of the pin T by means of a series of steel balls 2l or other flexible chain of elements running in a loop-shaped channel 22, as illustrated in Fig. 2. For convenience a lever 23 is connected to the collar 65 U and secured in position by a screw 24, which can be screwed into the lever 23, so as to press on the circumference of the circular boss of the lever-fulcrum, as shown in Fig. 2,

or may be partially withdrawn therefrom by 7o rotating the said screw 24 by means of a handle 24, This lever holds the crank-pin at any desired point of adjustment and so may be used to move and hold the crank-pin T at different radii while the machine is in motion, 75

or any other convenient means of operating the collar U may be employed. The collar U is provided with a narrow inward projection 25, (a separate part of which, 26, is adj nstable by set-screws to take up wear of 8o the balls,) and said projection plays in the groove 27 to engage with the balls by the movement of the collar. The block 2O of the crank-pin T is also made narrow where it intersects the groove 28 to engage with 85 the balls 2l, as seen in cross-section in Fig. 3, and the block terminates in a T-shaped head, whereby it is guided in a groove 29 in the body of the fly-wheel F', which is constructed in two parts, divided at the line y y, 9o

Fig. l, for convenience and bolted firmly to-, gether. The'slide 20 being limited in its movement by the hub 30, the pin T is offset on said slide or block by the arm 3l, so that when the block is moved to its limit toward 9 the center of the shaft. B the crank-pin T shall coincide with the said` center and eliminate motion of the clutch-lever K. In Fig. 2

the crank is shown at its position of maXi- Y mum stroke. In Fig. l the crank is shown roo flange 9, which is fixed to the shaft M.

at a position of medium stroke, and the dotl ed in any usual or suitable manner for purf poses of our invention, the same being adapted to avoid lost motion. We illustrate a construction of clutch corresponding to that described in Letters Patentof the United States No. 432,473. The lever K is loosely mounted on the shaft M and is connected to the plate 4 of the clutch by a slot and pin 5, and, as seen more clearlyin Figs. t, 5, and 6, the plate 4 bears a projection 6, which is adapted to pry the segment-s 7 8 apart when the plate is moved in the direction of the arrow and cause said segments to bind instantly on the The segments 7 8 are normally held together with moderate pressure and away from the fiange 9 by means of the spring 10. This causes the clutch to release during recovering movement, but avoids the necessity of any considerable lost motion between the parts,which would have to be taken up when the propelling movement commences, as more fully described in said patent. An important adlvantage of the direct connection of the crank T to the arm K consists in that during` the propelling lnotion of the clutch L the crank--` pin T may act on a long radius of the arm or lever K, giving great power, while during the recovering stroke of said clutch the crankpin T may act on a short radius of said arm, thereby recovering the clutch with a quick and stopping the motor, especially when explosive gas is used as the motive power. The invention is especially useful 4in hill-climbing when used on road-vehicles, it being desirable that the Working capacity of the motor be immediately convertible from speed advantage into power advantage, and vice versa.

Having thus fully described our invention, l what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters j Patent, is-

1. In a speed-changing mechanism,the combination oi a rotary driving part, a crank` thereon, a clutch engaging in one direction and releasing in the other and havinga rockarm, said arm being operated by a sliding contact of said crank thereon at long radii when effecting the engaging movement of said clutch and at short radii when effecting the recovering movement of the said clutch, a rotary driven part engaged by said clutch, and means for varying the stroke of said crank while the machine is in motion.

2,'The combination of a rotary shaft, a crank-pin movably mounted thereon, and means for controlling the position of said crank-pin while the shaft is in motion', consisting in guiding means for said pin, a ballchannel containing a series of balls acting on said pin, said channel extending to and longitudinally within the shaft, and a controlling member movable in the length of the shaft having contact With the balls in said channel.

3. The combination of a rotary shaft, a crankpin` movably mounted thereon, and means for controlling the position of said crank-pin while the shaft is in motion, comprising guideways for the pin, a loop-shaped channel parallel to said guideways throughout a portion of its length, and extending out longitudinally of the shaft through another portion of its length, and a flexible chain of elements extending through said loop-shaped channel and connected to the crank-pin.

4. The combination of a rotary shaft, a crank-pin movably mounted thereon, and means for controlling the position of said crank-pin while the shaft is in motion, comprising guideways for the pin, a loop-shaped channel parallel to said guideways throughout'a portion of its length, and extending out longitudinally of the shaft through another portion of its length, and a exible chain of elements extending through said loop-shaped channel, and connected to the crank-pin, together with the sleeve -longitudinally slidable on the shaft and connected to said flexible chain of elements.

5. The combination of a rotary shaft, a

. crank-pin movably mounted thereon, and

means for controlling the position of said crank-pin While the shaft is in motion, comprising guideways for the pin, a loop-shaped channel parallel to said guideways throughout a portion of its length, and extending out longitudinally of the shaft through another portion of its length, and a flexible chain of elements extending thro ugh said loop-shaped channel and connected to the crank-pin, together with the sleeve longitudinally slidable on the shaft and connected to said flexible chain of elements, and means carried by said sleeve for taking up slack in the flexible chain of elements.

IOO

IIO

6. The combination of a rotary shaft, a i

crank-pin movably mounted thereon, and means for controlling the position of said crank-pin while the shaft is in motion, comprising guideways for the pin, a loop-shaped channel parallel to said guideways throughout a portion of its length, and extending out longitudinally of the shaft through another Signed in the city, county, and State of New York this 23d day of June, A. D. 1897.

ALEXANDER FISCHER. ALBERT T. OTTO.

Vitnesses:

C. L. MALCOLM, A. M. RODE. 

